Ore cleaner.



A. MDoUGALL.

par: CLEANER.' APPL-IoATIN FILED Nov. 29, 19o?.

Patenteduuly 5,'19'10.

1 JNVENTQR...

ALEXANDER MUDOUGALI, 0F D'ULUTH, MINNESOTA.

OBECLEANEB.

Speecation of Letters Fatent.

Patented July 5, 1910'.

Application led November 29"', 1907. Serial o. 404,887.

To all who-m. 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MoDoU- cALr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements 1n ore cleaners.

The object of my invention is to provide an ore cleaner in which the ore, as it is taken from the mine or stock pile, and the sand and clay are washed therefrom, and the ore wllien cleaned is com-'eyed to cars or stock P Another object of my invention is to pro'- vide a more simple, cheap and effect-ive apparatus of this characte In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, is a side elevation part y in longitudinal section of my improved ore cleaner. Fig. 2, is a top plan view. Fig. 3, is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 1. Fig. 4., is a vertical transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified form of screen.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represente a lon narrow cleaning trough which is placed either adjacent the mine or stock pile, and said trough is arranged at an inclination, the said inclination at which the trough is set being giverned by the kind and character of ore to e treated or cleaned.

What is termed a skip-conveyer 3 is shown for conveying the material from the mine or stock pile and delivers it to the cleaner. While I have shown this form of conveyor, it will be understood that dump cars, steam shovels, endless chain conveyers, or any other form may be used, as this forms no part of my invention.

Beyond the rear or upper end of the inclined trough und a distance thereabove, is a hopper 4; which has a downwardly-inclined bot-tom 5, and a chute 6 extending from the lower end thereof and in a lane therewith, forming a continuation o the inclined bottom. The said chute 6 is of un elongated form and may be provided with riiiles or obst-motions which serve to further disturb the ore on its downward movemont.l therenver and disintegrate the clay, .sund and ore. The length of this chute would be varied according to the character of ore being operated on. Connected to the hopper 4 is a water supply pipe 7 which is supplied with water from any desired source. The pipe 7, as shown, is inthe lower side of the hopper and causes the water to pass upwardly through the ore as it is fed.

to the hopper.

Below the lower end of the chute 6 is a screen 8 which is shown of a rotary form and located directly above the trough 1, and inclined at substantially the same angle as the trough, and is adapted to receive the 0re,etc., from the chute 6. As before stated, I have shown a cylindrical rotary screen, the construction of which is that shown 1n Fig. 3; that is, an inner screen 9 and an outer screen 10 coneentrically arranged one within the other. While I have shown a compound rotary screen as my preferred form, it will be un Ierstood that a sin le rotary, or a recip rocating screen could e used with good resuits. The lower end of the screen 8 is directly above the trough 1. The trough at this point is provided with an inverted V- shaped hood 11, upon which the contents of the screen are discharged as it passes from the lower end. This hood, as shown in Fig. 3, prevents the contents of the screen as they are discharged from its lower end, from entering the trough and diverts them to either side. The contents of the screen discharged from its lower end, and the larger pieces of the ore, etc., which have not been disintegrated, and are of such a size that they cannot pass through the screen, do not enter the trough 1. The smaller pieces together with the sand, clay and water pass through the screen to the trough. The trough, as before stated, ie of an elongated narrow form inclined at the proper angle according to the character of ore to be cleaned or separated. The bottom of the trough is provided with one or more valves or openings 19. which extend transverse the trough and are provided with gates 13 by means of which the sides of the openings 1.2 are regulated. Extending longitudine ly along the side of the trough is a water supply pipe 14 which is provided with transverse pipes 15 which extend through the side o the trough and have .their ends closed, and the said pipes within the trough are provided with a suitable number of erforatious 1G which are preferubl placedJ on the upper side of the pipe for t 1e purpose. of deliverlng the water under pressure in un upward directon to form a cross-current. For thc iurpose of regulating the water th'rou li the branch pipes, the same are provide with suitable valves 17. These. branch pipes are so located above the openings 12 as to convey the lighter and smaller pieces o f sand and clay up over the openings, as is well understood. The trough 1 on each side of the screen is rovided with plates 18 and 19 which i e the water, line ore, sand, etc., sieveu through the screen into the trough.

Below the trough 1 is an endless conveyer 21 which is of a concaved form, as indicated at 22, and held in said position by rollers 23, whereby the ore discharged thereon is conveyed u wardly and discharged into a car 24, whi e the water is allowed to drain downwardly and discharge into. the pool 25. In order to divert the larger pieces of ore which pass out the lower end of the screen at 20 to the endless conveyor, I provide the inclined plates 26, and 27. In El i I have shown a rotary screen 8 at f ne si e of the trough, 1, but parallel therewlth, and a plate 28 for conveying the water, ore, sand, etc., from the screen to the trough. The endless conveyor 21 is arranged directly below the screen, and the trouglli 1 below each o ening 12 is provided wit a trou h 29 wqiich conveys the discharge throng the openings to the endless conveyor. The endless conveyer is preferably driven by an electric motor 30. In ope-ration the ore from the elevator 3 is discharged into the upper end of the hopper, and water is supplied by means of the pipe 7, which strikes the ore as it falls upon the inclined bottom of the hopper and the water and ore then pass downwardly over the chute, and the ore is partly disintegrated when it enters the screen 8. As shown in Fig. 2, the larger pieces of ore, etc., pass from the screen upon the hood 20 and are diverted to either side of the trough, while the finer pieces of ore, sand and clay, and the water, pass through the screen and enter the trough and pass down the` inclined bottom of the trough. The ore, sand and clay in its downward course within the trough is acted upon by the cross-currents and the ore is graded as shown, the lighter pieces of sand, cla etc., being lifted over the o eiiings whi e the heavier pieces fall tlirou the same and are graded accordingly, whi c the lighter pieces of sand, clay, etc., are held in suspense by the cross-current, they pass downwardly over the opening.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is z- 1 An apparatus of the character described, comprising an inclined trough, un inclined screen above the upper end of the trough, a hood above the trough below the lower end of the screen, a hopper above tlic u per end of the screen and havin an inc ined bottom terminating in an e ongated chute, and discharging into the upper end of the screen, a convcyer for discharging the ore into the upper end of the hopper, a water supply for said hopper, thc ottom of the trough having openings therein, water supply pipes resting upon the bottom above the openings, dellecting plates on each side of the screen, an endless concave/d conveyor below the trou h and receiving the ore therefrom, and cilector plates receivin the larger pieces of ore from the hood and deiiectng them upon the endless conveyer.

2. An apparatus of the character dcscribed comprising an inclined trough, an inclined rotary screen above the trough, an inverted V-shaped hood above the trough and below the ower end of the screen and upon which the discharge of the screen falls and is conveyed beyond the sides of the trough, a chute above the screen and discharging therein, a water su ply for the chute, an ore sup ly for the chute, the hottom of the troug having transverse openings, transverse water supply pipes resting upon the bottom above said openings, an inclined endless conveyer under the trou h and traveling in an opposite direction to t e dow of the contents of the trough and receiving the discharge from the openings and conveying it upward, and deflector plates receiving the ore from the hood and defiecting it below the trough upon the endless conveyor.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprisiug an inclined trough, an inclined screen above the upper end of the trough, a hood extending over the trough be low the lower end of the screen, a chute discharging into the upper end of the screen and riiies in its bottom, a water supply for the chute, an ore supply for the e utc, an endless conveyor below the trou h and receiving the ore therefrom, an deiiector plates receivin the larger pieces of ore from the hood and etlecting them upon the end less conveyor.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising an inclined trough, a rotary inclined screen above the upper end of the trough, an inverted Vsliaped hood above the trough below the lower end ofthe screen and conveyin the discharge therefrom to the sides o the trough, a ho per above the upper end of the screen and ving an inclined bottomterminating in an elongated chute discharging into the upper end of the screen, means for supplyin ore to the lio per, a water supply for said opper, the ottom of the troug h aving openings therein, water su ply pipes rcstm upon the bottom above t ic openings, an en less inclined conveyer below the trough and iio traveling lin a drectlon op osite the ow of water in the trou h an recelvlng the ore therefrom, and de ector plates recemn the larger eees of ore from the hoeden deflect-ing t em upon the conveyor.

5. An apparatus of the character de-v scribed, comprising an inclined trough,v a rotarl screen above the upper end of the troug a ho per above the upper end of the screen and aving a downwardly inclined bottom extending within the upper end of' the screen, rimes carried by the upper face of the ."mclinec1 bottom of the hopper, an ore supply for the said hopper, a water su ply for the hopper, inwardly inclined ethe discharge therefrom to the troug ing nn mverted V-shaped hood above the itrough Hector plates below the screen and conve'l below the lower enrl of tbe screen end coI-h veymg the discharge therefrom to lthe side resting. upon bottom an above the open of thel trough, the b ottom of the trough. v

hlvmg 0119111111? therenl, water supplypip'es. e

ing, an endless inclined conveyer below-"tbe trough and traveling in the .opposite direc# non from the water, in the trough-magre'- ce1ving the, ore therefrom, an efl'ctor plates' recewing the larger pieces from the ood and deilectng them upon the' conveyer.

In testimon whereof I ax myugsignatre 3o in presence o two witnesses.

ALEXANDER MGDOUGALL.

Witnesses M. F. CHALK, DONALD MGLENNAN. 

